Before coronavirus hit the United States, Chicago was a national epicenter for live shows and festivals throughout the year.
Chicago has one of the more unique music scenes across the country: It is the birthplace of several genres, including Chicago-style blues, house and modern gospel, according to Choose Chicago.
Smaller bands put together house shows where they played sets in apartment living rooms or basements. All of that changed when COVID-19 took a turn for the worst in the U.S. As with nearly every other business around the world, Chicago’s music scene needed to adjust to survive a new pandemic reality.
Joe Merkle, a member of several Chicago music projects plays guitar and sings vocals for North Lodge, his solo project, and Jonnycatland, a band with jazzy pop melodies and garage rock themes.
Since 2016, Merkle and his friends have been playing various gigs around Chicago, playing shows at Wicker Park’s Subterranean, winning a local Battle of the Bands competition and opening for Peach Pit.
“Oh, the good old days,” Merkle said. “Every weekend there would be a house show with some great Chicago bands like the Swatches, Ex Okays, and Space Bones.”
Merkle played a house show in January 2020 with the Ex Okays at a concert venue called Dreamhouse, located in Logan Square. House shows were the typical weekend gig for small Chicago bands before coronavirus.
“The only way I can describe the music scene’s energy is just gigantic,” said Merkle. “I miss it. No matter who you are, you can find a band at a house show or small concert that fits who you are.”
Merkle noted that there are many aspects that make this city’s music scene unique. Musicians are supportive of each other’s pursuits, instead of looking at other bands as competition.
“It feels almost as if every band or artist is friends with each other,” said Merkle. “From the moment I stepped into the Chicago music scene, I felt welcomed and supported the more I went out to shows.”
Merkle added that he was shocked, but nonetheless grateful, by the “open-armed energy” he received from other artists and members.
There are many things that set Chicago’s music scene apart from other cities around the country, but, with the pandemic, every musician is struggling.
“I think [with] the way the music industry works, it is extremely hard to sustain yourself financially without playing live gigs,” Merkle says. “Unfortunately, the payout to musicians is quite unfair when considering streaming services, and this has been a topic of discussion amongst musicians I know.”
Due to concert halls closing and performances of all kinds cancelled all across the country, touring musicians that make most of their income from live performances are suffering.
“I hope that aspect of the music business will change because of the pandemic,” said Merkle. “Adjustments to virtually every business are being implemented, we need to evaluate the music industry just as much.”
Though people are struggling in the pandemic, they have also taken more time to focus on their passions and to connect virtually with loved ones due to an increase in free time.
“It has been an on and off for me when it comes to writing music right now,” Merkle said. “On one hand, I feel pretty unmotivated to write. However, other times it becomes a source of greater joy. On rare occasions, I get together to help produce and write music with other people.”
Music is something that should be shared, Merkle noted. The lack of togetherness is a big root cause to the loss of inspiration many are feeling.
Nonetheless, musicians around the world and in Chicago have found tools to adjust to the new normal.
“A lot of venues and artists have turned to live streaming their performances,” said Merkle. “While it may not be a replacement, it is a fun way to stay engaged with the fans.”
Artists, of big and small followings, have taken to live streaming their shows and sets to accommodate fans. Lollapalooza, Chicago’s annual summer music festival, held a live stream in August along with other music festivals across the country and around the world.
It does not replace the feeling of an in-person performance, but thousands of people have attended the live streams, Merkle noted.
Until the world returns to normal, Merkle intends to keep live streaming and working on music for the days he can play in front of an audience again.
“I hope when things return, they return with a new sense of gratefulness —the people that compromise the music are all people we should support and love,” Merkle said. “I think we should bring more energy than we ever have before. We should appreciate the times we thought, before coronavirus, could never be taken away from us.”
Chicago strides one step closer towards living rooms packed with people and music blasting through the speakers as the world takes closer steps to the end of COVID-19.
Header image: Photo Courtesy of Joe Merkle’s instagram @joetheguitar. Graphic by Josephine Stratman.